Steelers quarterback coach remembers Walsh

Chris Beaven

Tuesday

Jul 31, 2007 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2007 at 1:02 AM

Walsh, who built a dynasty in San Francisco with Joe Montana as his quarterback, died Monday.

Anyone looking for Bill Walsh’s imprint in the NFL today needs only to follow the footsteps of Ken Anderson. Most everything Anderson teaches as the quarterbacks coach of the Steelers begins with what he learned three decades ago from Walsh.

“He was the basis for what I know,” Anderson said Monday from Steelers training camp at St. Vincent College.

Walsh, who built a dynasty in San Francisco with Joe Montana as his quarterback, died Monday. Anderson was one of Walsh’s star pupils in the 1970s, when Walsh was creating a name for himself as quarterbacks coach with the Bengals under Paul Brown.

A third-round pick out of Augustana (Ill.) College in 1970, Anderson knew he was a long shot for long-term NFL success. But under the tutelage of Walsh, Anderson embarked on what turned into a successful 16-year career as a player. He is now in his 15th season coaching quarterbacks, his first with Pittsburgh.

“This is the guy that took basically an option quarterback from a Division III school and taught him how to be an NFL quarterback,” Anderson said. “It was great because we started from ground zero. I knew nothing. And this is the guy that molded me into a quarterback that lasted a few years in the National Football League.”

A two-time finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Anderson won four NFL passing titles — only Steve Young and Sammy Baugh have more. He helped the Bengals reach a Super Bowl, ironically against Walsh’s 49ers, and set a league record for completion percentage (70.55) in 1982. He still holds a number of Bengal passing records, including career yards and TDs.

“The principles that he applied to playing quarterback still apply today with footwork and balance and timing,” Anderson said. “He just took me step by step through it, and that’s the foundation of playing quarterback.”

Look around the NFL, and Walsh’s impact is easy to see.

“Most offenses have certain principles based on his West Coast offense — spreading the field ... using everybody in the passing game,” Anderson said.

Walsh’s impact on Anderson is immeasurable each day as he works with Steelers quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger. But Anderson points out that their relationship went beyond just talking football.

“As years went on, we became friends,” Anderson said. “He went from the coach to a good friend. So he’s always been a mentor of mine.”